ACC Football Notebook: News and notes heading into pivotal Week 8

No. 16 Wake Forest (6-0) is one of just 10 remaining FBS unbeaten teams. The Demon Deacons are 6-0 for the second time in program history and the first time since 1944.

Wake Forest steps out of conference this week for a road game at Army (4-2) on Saturday at noon on CBSSN. The Demon Deacons lead the league and rank sixth in the country in turnover margin.

News and Notes

• The first of five league matchups this weekend starts Saturday when Virginia Tech (3-3, 1-1) welcomes Syracuse (3-4, 0-3) to Blacksburg for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff on RSN. The teams are meeting for only the second time as ACC members and for the first time in more than five years. Syracuse boasts the league’s second-best defense, allowing 308.8 yards per game, while the Hokies have the ACC’s second-ranked pass defense.
• Clemson (4-2, 3-1) plays at No. 23 Pitt (5-1, 2-0) at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN in a key cross-division matchup. The Panthers lead the Coastal Division, while Clemson has just one loss in league play. Pitt is 5-1 for the first time since head coach Pat Narduzzi’s debut season in 2015, when it started 6-1. Five of Clemson’s six games this year have been decided by seven points or less.
• Following an off week, Louisville (3-3, 1-2) returns to the gridiron to face Boston College (4-2, 0-2), which is coming off a home loss to NC State. The game is set for Saturday at 4 p.m. on ACC Network. Louisville holds a 4-3 edge in ACC games versus the Eagles since joining the conference in 2014, but Boston College has won three of the last four meetings, including last season’s 34-27 win at Chestnut Hill.
• Georgia Tech (3-3, 0-2), which owns an all-time 19-17-1 edge in ACC play over the Cavaliers, seeks to win at Virginia (5-2, 3-2) for the first time since 2013 when the two teams meet Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network. Virginia owns the nation’s second-ranked passing attack and has scored 30-or-more points in all but one game this season. Each of the last three series meetings have been decided by less than a touchdown.
• No. 18 NC State (5-1, 2-0) travels to Miami (2-4, 0-2) looking to extend its four-game win streak at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The teams are meeting for the second consecutive season and for the seventh time in ACC play. Miami’s last two losses to Virginia and North Carolina were decided by a total of five points. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack defense has held three teams this season to seven points or less.
• Florida State (2-4) has produced wins over Syracuse and North Carolina in its last two outings to even its ACC record at 2-2. This week, the Seminoles face UMass (1-5), which is coming off its first win two weeks ago. The game will be televised at noon on ACC Network. It is the first meeting between these two teams.
• For the second consecutive year, the ACC will host a Fall Unity Week, Oct. 23-30. ACC Unity Weeks are an initiative of the ACC’s Committee for Racial and Social Justice (CORE – Champions of Racial Equity) and have been developed in conjunction with its 15 member institutions.
• Unity Week includes all home ACC contests Oct 23 through Oct. 30. At football games, both teams will line up arm-in-arm on their side of the field on the hash marks from 20-yard line to 20-yard line, while the Unity video is played and the Unity Statement is read.